Scrapping Metals and Other Raw Materials for a Big Profit

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Old radiators are good examples of saleable cast iron perfect for scrapping.
Old radiators are good examples of saleable cast iron perfect for scrapping.
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Two happy guys scrapping some metal for a few welcome extra bucks.
Two happy guys scrapping some metal for a few welcome extra bucks.
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Bronze, also known as red metal, is a worthwhile scrap metal to be looking for while out scrapping. We’ll also discuss brass, copper, cast iron and much more.
Bronze, also known as red metal, is a worthwhile scrap metal to be looking for while out scrapping. We’ll also discuss brass, copper, cast iron and much more.
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Examples of No. 1 and No. 2 junk copper that will fetch a high price with junk dealers.
Examples of No. 1 and No. 2 junk copper that will fetch a high price with junk dealers.
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Scrap metal can be found in many different places including trash barrels, dumps, around old barns and on construction sites.
Scrap metal can be found in many different places including trash barrels, dumps, around old barns and on construction sites.
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A wheelbarrow full of scrap aluminum.
A wheelbarrow full of scrap aluminum.
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Scrap steel is plentiful in many dumps if you know what you're looking for.
Scrap steel is plentiful in many dumps if you know what you're looking for.
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Samples of different scrap metals which can be found basically anywhere that you can get permission to
Samples of different scrap metals which can be found basically anywhere that you can get permission to "clean up" an eyesore in return for carting off the recyclable materials that you are after.
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This table shows the prices paid for each scrap metal in Virginia in April of 1977.
This table shows the prices paid for each scrap metal in Virginia in April of 1977.
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Small quantities of scrap metal are weighed on a roll-around platform scale at a dealer's yard.
Small quantities of scrap metal are weighed on a roll-around platform scale at a dealer's yard.
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Yellow brass is a tricky metal to identify because it often resembles red brass.
Yellow brass is a tricky metal to identify because it often resembles red brass.
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This
This "Metal Identification Chart" is a quick guide for how to distinguish the different scrap metals from each other and other raw materials.

You may not believe this, but for the last 12 years, I’ve been turning brass, aluminum, copper, iron, steel and lead into gold. No, I’m not an alchemist … I’m what’s known in the trade as a junker. I comb the local dumps (and the countryside) in search of scrap metal, then sell that scrap to dealers who are willing to pay me anywhere from $1.75 to $40 per 100-pound load of the material.

I’ve found that scrapping can add $50 to my monthly income with only the slightest amount of effort and equipment, and I can tell you from experience that as a full-time pursuit metals scavenging can bring a person well over $500 a month. I’m definitely hooked on junking because not only is it a dependable source of extra cash for the maintenance of my homestead but also it enables me to be self-employed whenever I want; I like the good feeling I get when I recycle a “useless” piece of metal (and leave the area that it came from cleaned up).

One of scrapping’s biggest attractions is that it requires little or no start-up capital, special tools or prior experience. (There certainly is no shortage of raw materials: In today’s throw-it-away society, junk abounds.) Anyone who has a few common tools, a car or truck, a little storage space and a moderate amount of initiative can get started in the metal-recycling business right away.

Equipment

Before you get started, you’ll need a small magnet (the ordinary “five-and-ten” kind will do OK) and a file (I use a 2- to 3-incher, such as is commonly used to file ignition points). Both file and magnet should fit easily into a pocket so that you can tote them with you at all times.

  • Published on Mar 1, 1978
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